The Boy Who Wasn't
by Healer Pomfrey
Summary: On the day before Neville's nineth birthday, Alice and Frank Longbottom are cured, and Alice remembers being Harry Potter's godmother. Completely AU, set before Hogwarts, will perhaps cover the Hogwarts years, maybe not, depending on the interest in this story
1. Dear Professor

**The Boy Who Wasn't**  
**by Healer Pomfrey**

_All recognizable characters belong to J. K. Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story.  
I am not a native speaker of English. Please excuse my mistakes._

* * *

**1. Dear Professor**

"Where's my baby?" the young witch asked, hysterically looking around. Just a little while ago, he had been fast asleep on her lap cuddling with his stuffed dragon. _'Where is he?'_ she wondered, trying not to panic.

"Mum," a young boy, who was standing next to her mother-in-law, spoke up. "It's me. I'm here."

Alice shook her head, giving the old witch a pleading look. "Augusta, please, where's my baby?"

"Alice," her mother-in-law spoke up in a slow voice. "Eight years have passed already. Neville is going to be nine tomorrow."

"No, I don't believe you," Alice replied, stubbornly, just when her husband Frank stepped around her bed.

"Alice, I didn't believe it either, but I just had a conversation with the Head Healer of St. Mungo's. Apparently Bellatrix Lestrange cursed both of us, and it took them almost eight years to invent a potion that countered the effects. We've been at St. Mungo's for nearly eight years. This young man here must indeed be Neville."

Alice stared at her husband in disbelief, noticing that he suddenly looked much older than she remembered him from what seemed just a few minutes ago. She reached out for the child. "Neville? You're my baby? My big baby?"

"Yes Mum," Neville replied, smiling a genuine smile. "I'm so happy to have you back, Mum and Dad."

"Shall we go home?" Neville's grandmother suggested.

"Of course," the young couple replied, simultaneously, not wanting to spend any more time at the hospital than necessary.

HP

Back at Longbottom Manor, Augusta once again told Alice and Frank everything that had happened since that fateful Halloween night seven years and nine months ago, when Voldemort had gone after the Potters.

"Little Harry apparently managed to get rid of Voldemort, do you remember that?" Augusta queried, giving the young couple a concerned look.

"Yes of course, after Voldemort killed Lily and James," Alice said, gravely. "Where's Harry now? Is he with Sirius?"

"With Sirius Black?" Augusta asked, incredulously. "Sirius is in Azkaban for giving out the Potters to Voldemort. He was their Secret Keeper."

"No, he wasn't," Alice contradicted in a firm voice. "Just a few weeks ago, they changed the Secret Keeper to Peter. He must have been a traitor then."

"Oh Merlin," Augusta replied, sighing. "Then I'm afraid that you'll have to inform the Ministry of Magic, or maybe just Dumbledore in the first place in order to get Sirius Black out of Azkaban."

"Where's Harry then?" Alice suddenly remembered to enquire with a strange feeling of foreboding.

Augusta sighed again. "Dumbledore took him to the Dursleys. There were so many who wanted to take him in; however, he refused and insisted that the boy had to stay with his relatives. He even forbade everyone to go and check on him."

Alice rose from her seat. "If you please excuse me for an hour. I have an errand to run. Neville, will you accompany me?"

Neville smiled, happily. "Of course Mum, where are we going?"

"We're going to fetch my godson Harry," Alice replied in determination. "Maybe you don't even remember him, but you'll soon become best friends again like you were when you were babies."

"Alice, you're going to be in much trouble with Albus Dumbledore," Augusta warned her daughter-in-law.

However, the young witch replied, "I don't care, and I'm sure I'd win a trial over him, considering that the child is my godson."

Frank, who so far had been quietly followed the conversation between his wife and his mother, spoke up, pensively. "Alice dear, go and see if the boy wants to come at all. If so, I know what we're going to do. Don't worry about it now."

"Ah, Frank, you're the best," Alice replied, smiling. She leaned over and kissed her husband, before she took Neville by the hand and left.

HP

Harry Potter was sitting in his cupboard, reading an old garden magazine, which he had unobtrusively rescued out of the waste basket. _'The day after tomorrow is my birthday,'_ he mused. _'I'm going to be nine, but everyone will ignore it anyway. I wished I had someone to be happy for me on that day.'_

All of a sudden, the door bell rang. However, Harry knew that it was not for him. No one ever came for him. Oh well, yes, Mrs. Figg, the cat lady as he used to call her, sometimes she came to ask if he could help her with her garden, but that was all. He did not have any friends, and if any of his schoolmates wanted to friend him, Dudley taught them quickly that they better had to keep away from him.

Harry almost jumped in surprise when the door to his cupboard opened and an unknown woman looked inside.

"Harry?" she asked in a soft voice that automatically made Harry reply.

"Yes," he said, hesitantly.

"Come out here boy," he heard Aunt Petunia's voice, sounding impatient.

Harry stumbled out of his cupboard and came to stand in front of the unknown lady and a boy that was just a bit taller than himself.

"Hello Harry," the friendly lady spoke up again. "You probably won't remember me, but I'm Aunt Alice, your godmother, and this is Neville. We came to ask if you want to come and live with us."

Harry stared at the woman, stunned. _'What's a dogmother?'_ he wondered. _'She wants me to live with them? Does she not know that I'm a freak and a burden to all the good people?'_

"Reply boy," Petunia hissed. "Tell them that you want to live with them."

"Yes please," Harry said in a barely audible voice, shyly averting his eyes to the floor.

"Petunia," the lady suddenly turned to his aunt. "How did you treat your nephew?"

"Like the freak he is," Petunia hissed. "Now go and take the boy with you. We don't want any more freaks in our house."

"I fully understand," Alice replied, seemingly furiously, before she turned to Harry in a much friendlier voice. "Harry, fetch your belongings. Neville can go with you and help you pack."

Harry hurried back into his cupboard and came back a mere instant later, carrying a worn-out baby blanket, which Alice recognised as the one that she and Frank had given Lily and James when Harry was born.

"Is that all?" she queried, incredulously.

"Yes Madame," Harry replied, shyly.

"All right then, Harry and Neville, let's go home." She firmly took the boys' hands and apparated from the spot.

_tbc... _


	2. Albus Etc Dumbledore,

**The Boy Who Wasn't**  
**by Healer Pomfrey**

_All recognizable characters belong to J. K. Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story.  
I am not a native speaker of English. Please excuse my mistakes._

* * *

**2. Albus Etc Dumbledore**

Harry was terrified, feeling everything turn around and finally become black in front of his eyes. To his relief, it only took an instant, and when he could see again, he realised that he was not at the Dursleys' house anymore. He found himself in a comfortable looking living room, together with Neville and the kind lady, who had taken him with her. Two more people, a man and an old woman, were occupying two of the comfortable looking chairs in the room. Bookshelves surrounded the room, and in the centre was a huge fireplace. Harry immediately liked his surroundings.

"Harry and Neville, please sit on the sofa in front of the fireplace. We need to talk," Alice instructed the children in a gentle but firm voice.

Harry hesitantly followed Neville and unsurely stood in front of the sofa.

"Come Harry, sit," Neville cooed.

However, Harry slightly shook his head. "I'm not allowed to sit on the sofa," he said in a barely audible voice.

"Harry," Alice spoke up again, "please forget everything that you learned at the Dursleys. They're horrible. You're going to become Neville's brother now, and if he sits down, you may of course sit down as well. Do you understand me, sweetie?" she asked, casting the boy a warm smile.

"Yes," Harry replied and hesitantly sat next to Neville.

"Now Harry," Alice continued to speak in a soft voice, "Let me just tell you something." Seeing that Harry nodded, looking at her in expectation, she told him, "I was your mother's best friend, and she made me your godmother, which means that I was supposed to take you in when your mother died. However, right after your parents died, Frank and I," she pointed to her husband, "were badly injured and had to stay in the hospital until this morning. That's why I couldn't get you here and take you in earlier and you had to stay with your horrible relatives."

"Thank you so much for taking me away from my relatives," Harry said in a small voice.

"I wished I'd have been able to do so eight years ago," Alice replied, sadly. "I haven't even be able to see Neville during that time, and Neville grew up with our Granny here."

Harry glanced at the old woman. _'She looks very strict,'_ he thought, slightly frightened. _'On the other hand, she can't be worse than Uncle Vernon.'_

"Since we only came home today after almost eight years, we have to get used to normal life again," Frank threw in. "Therefore, some things might be strange, but together we'll manage to get used to it, won't we Harry and Neville?"

"Yes," Neville said, happily looking from his father to Harry. "I'm so happy to have you back and to have Harry here. It's like many Christmas and birthdays together."

_'Neville seems really nice,'_ Harry thought, _'not at all like Dudley.'_

"Neville and Harry, do you prefer to share a room or have your own rooms?" the old lady enquired, sounding much nicer than she looked.

"Together would be great, wouldn't it, Harry?" Neville replied, enthusiastically. "We're going to have a lot of fun together."

"I'd like that," Harry added, giving Neville a shy smile.

"Very well," Augusta said, nodding contentedly, before she called one of the Longbottom's house-elves. "Fizzy."

To Harry's surprise, a strange creature entered the room. The creature was about his own size but had long ears that almost touched the floor when the creature bowed in front of the old lady.

"Harry, this is our elf, Fizzy," Neville explained to Harry. "When we need anything, we can always call Fizzy and she'll help us."

"What can I do for Mistress Augusta?" Fizzy queried, looking up at the old lady in expectation.

"Add a second bed, desk, chair and whatever else is needed for Harry to Neville's room," Augusta instructed the elf, causing Harry to stare from one to the other in surprise.

_'I'm getting my own bed and I'm allowed to sleep in Neville's room,'_ he thought in amazement. _'How cool is that?'_

HP

He was brought out of his thoughts, when Frank Longbottom spoke up in a stern voice. "Now there's one problem, which we have to solve first, and right away, before the news of our rescue reaches the Daily Prophet."

"Yes, I'm sure it'll be in tomorrow morning's newspaper," Augusta agreed with her son.

"Albus Dumbledore, a very important man in the British magical world," Frank explained to Harry in a simple way, "insisted that you had to stay with the Dursleys. Therefore, we must now decide if we're going to put up a huge fight with him or if we're just going to hide you, so that no one knows who you really are. Do you understand me, Harry?"

"Magical?" Harry asked in a small voice. "The Dursleys told me there's no such thing as magic."

"Nonsense," Alice threw in, sounding very angry. "The Dursleys are Muggles, non magical people, and I know that Petunia has always envied Lily because of being a witch and able to do things that she couldn't. Harry, you're a wizard, just like Neville and Frank and like your father was. Granny and I are witches like your mother."

"Why does Dumbledore have to decide where Harry has to go?" Neville threw in. "You're his godmother, and I know that Harry's mum was my godmother, so it's only natural that he belongs to our family, isn't it?"

"When Voldemort attacked the Potters, Harry managed to vanquish him in spite of being a baby," Augusta explained, patiently. "Professor Dumbledore apparently fears that remaining Death Eaters - followers of Voldemort - want to take their revenge on Harry, and therefore, he erected blood wards around the Dursleys' residence, stating that his aunt's blood would keep him safe."

"What nonsense," Alice replied, a furious expression on her face. Turning to Frank, she enquired, "How do you suggest to hide Harry? In two years' time, he has to attend Hogwarts together with Neville."

Frank chuckled. "Hiding in the open I meant." To Harry, he said, "Harry, this is just a suggestion, but we could blood adopt you in order to change your appearance and make you our real son, and if we also change your name, no one would know that you're Harry Potter."

_'So no one could send me back to the Dursleys,'_ Harry mused. Aloud he said, "I'd like that, sir. If you're sure that you want me," he added in a small voice. "The Dursleys told me that I'm a freak and a burden to all the good people and if they hadn't given me a roof over the head, no one would."

"Harry," Alice replied, smiling at the small boy. "None of this is true. You're not a freak. You're a very good boy and a wizard. You're not a burden to anyone. We love you and we want you to become a part of our family. In fact, my husband's suggestion is quite good I believe. Since Neville is only a day older than you, you can go as twins. We'd have to change your birthday from the 31st to the 30th of July then."

"A good idea, but how do you want to make people believe that Neville had a twin brother?" Augusta asked, incredulously. "Too many people know him as a single child."

Alice chuckled. "I'm not a Charms Mistress for nothing, and being cursed did not make me lose my brain," she replied firmly. "The Charm is a bit complicated, but it won't be a problem. The bigger problem is how to get a blood adoption potion for Harry during the remainder of the day." She remained thoughtful for a moment, before she queried, "Did I understand it correctly that it was Severus Snape who rescued us by inventing the potion they gave us?"

"Yes dear," Augusta replied, smiling.

"I'll go and ask him then. I want to thank him anyway. He was Lily's best friend, he'll do as much for her son," Alice decided and rose from her seat in determination.

"He's at Hogwarts. He's the Potions professor and Head of Slytherin," her mother-in-law informed her, and Alice nodded contentedly.

"I'll be back soon," she announced and stepped into the fireplace, shouting, "Severus Snape's office, Hogwarts."

Harry stared at the fireplace in disbelief. "Will she be all right?" he hesitantly asked Neville. "The flames..." He slowly trailed off, noticing that everyone looked at him.

"No Harry, don't worry," Neville replied in a soft voice, "that's the Floo network, a magical transportation means. We always use it when we want to go somewhere."

_'So magic is real,'_ Harry mused. _'I like it. And I'm not a freak but a wizard, I have a real family now, and all of them are magical.'_ Never before had he felt so happy.

HP

Alice stepped out of the fireplace in Severus Snape's office at Hogwarts. "Hello Severus, I'm sorry to disturb you," she apologized to her former classmate.

The Slytherin stared at her with an expression void of emotion. "Just only back to life and already gallivanting through the magical world," he sneered.

However, Alice knew Lily's former best friend well enough to ignore his statement. "I came to thank you Severus. Thank you so much for what you did for my family."

Severus merely inclined his head, but Alice noticed that the edges of his mouth pulled slightly up. She let out a long sigh. "Severus, I need your advice," she said bluntly, causing him to quirk an eyebrow in silent question. "Unfortunately, it's not that easy," she added. "Would you be willing to swear a Wizard's Oath to not reveal to anyone what this conversation is about?"

"I herewith swear on my magic to not reveal the content of this conversation to anyone," Severus recited, wearing a bored expression.

"Thank you Severus," Alice spoke again, inwardly sighing in relief. "As you know, Lily's son is my godson." Seeing Severus nod, she explained, "Dumbledore placed him with the Dursleys, but they're not treating him well, and anyway, I brought him to my home. He's going to be a member of my family. However, in order to avoid long-term fights with Dumbledore, we decided to blood adopt him and make him Neville's brother. We also intend to change his name in order to hide him from Dumbledore or who else might want to harm him."

"May I ask why you tell me this?" Severus queried, quirking an eyebrow. "I owe Albus Dumbledore. Without him, I'd have ended up in Azkaban. Therefore, I'm not able to do anything against him."

"That's fine, Severus," Alice reassured him. "I merely wanted to ask you two things. First of all, do you think it'll work out, and secondly, can you give me an advice as to where to obtain a blood adoption potion?"

Severus smirked, before he replied, pensively. "I believe that it's a good idea, and it should work out, provided that you're able to hide his scar. As to the blood adoption potion, I can brew it for you. It'll take about an hour, and I need two drops of blood from each you and your husband."

Alice profusely thanked her former classmate, and the two of them agreed that Severus should visit the Longbottoms as soon as the potion was ready in order to collect the drops of blood and finish the potion.

HP

In the meantime, Neville had taken Harry to their room. "Look, the elves have already added your bed, wardrobe as well as a second desk and chair to the room," he said, excitedly, pointing to the left side of the room. "This is your side, Harry."

Harry stared at the room in amazement. It was a big room, even larger than Dudley's room, and was equipped with a huge window and a balcony. The bright room was kept in different shades of blue, and Harry liked it immediately.

"This room's totally brilliant," he stammered. "Are you sure that you want to share it with me?"

"Of course," Neville replied, happily. "We're going to have a lot of fun. He opened Harry's wardrobe that was completely empty. "Oh right, Mum will take us shopping, when she gets used to normal life again, or Granny will take us, and they'll buy clothes for you. Until then, you just have to use my wardrobe," he said, pensively, before he opened his own wardrobe and pulled out dark blue robes. He tossed them at a surprised Harry. "Here Harry, wear these over your clothes. In the wizarding world, we wear robes, and Granny insists that we also wear them at home, because we never know when a visitor is going to come. Maybe Mum will allow us to just hang around without robes, but I don't know that yet."

"Thank you so much, Neville," Harry replied, as he hesitantly pulled Neville's robes over his worn out hand-me-downs from Dudley.

Neville smiled. "You're very welcome, and you don't have to thank me. Remember, you're my brother now, and I love that. I hate being a single child. It's no fun at all." He walked over to the shelf that was built in between the window and the door to the balcony and pulled out a huge box.

"Shall we play with the Hogwarts Express train set? Do you like to play with trains?" he enquired with excitement.

"I've never played with a train," Harry admitted in a small voice. "But I'd love to play," he added and began to help his new brother build up the set right away.

"Do you see the ship over there?" Neville asked, when the rails of the Hogwarts Express were finished. "That's Noah's Ark. It has two animals of each kind, because Noah saved them all from a flood and kept two of each animal, so that they could continue to live." Seeing Harry stare at the ship with interest, he fetched the ship from the shelf. "The animals are my next favourite toy after the Hogwarts Express. We can make the animals travel on the Hogwarts Express if you want," he offered, filling a wagon full with animals. "Here, my station is Hogsmeade, the station for Hogwarts, and yours is King's Cross in London," he said, before he sent the train loaded with animals to Harry.

"When we're eleven and get to go to Hogwarts, we're going to ride the Hogwarts Express in real. I can't wait," Neville said, smiling.

"What exactly is Hogwarts?" Harry asked, knowing that he had heard the name already during the conversation with Neville's parents and grandmother in the living room.

"It's Hogwarts School For Witchcraft and Wizardry, the school that we're going to attend in two years' time. It's a boarding school in Scotland, and all our parents and grandparents went to school there," Neville explained readily. "I can't wait going to Hogwarts, where there are many wizards and witches of our age. We're going to get our own wand and will properly learn to do magic."

"That sounds great fun," Harry agreed. "Are you sure that I'm going to be allowed to go together with you?" he then asked, anxiously.

"Of course," Neville replied firmly. "All magical children from the age of eleven upwards go there. Do you have any magical friends?"

Harry sadly shook his head. "I don't have any friends at all, and except for you and your family I don't even know anyone who is magical."

Neville nodded in understanding. "You really got it bad with your relatives," he said, compassionately. "I wasn't happy either, because Granny is very strict and no fun at all, but still it was much better for me than for you. But now that my parents are back and we're going to live together, everything will be much better."

Harry agreed, happily, giving his new brother a genuine smile.

"Tomorrow is my birthday, and if I understood Father correctly, they're going to change your birthday from the day after tomorrow to tomorrow too, so that we can be twins, right?"

"Yes, I think so," Harry replied, unsurely.

"Anyway, tomorrow afternoon, the Weasleys are going to come for my birthday party, or for our bithday party then," he corrected himself. "They have seven children. The oldest ones are already at Hogwarts, but the four youngest will come here." He spent the next few minutes telling his new brother everything about the four youngest Weasleys. "Especially the twins are very funny. Maybe we can become funny twins too," he ended his monologue.

"I'd like that," Harry replied, while he sent a wagon full of animals back from King's Cross to Hogsmeade.

Suddenly, the door opened and Alice stuck her head in. "Oh you're playing," she realised. "That's great." She lowered herself on one of the chairs, curiously glancing around the room. "A nice room," she stated, sighing. "I still can't believe how big the two of you are already. In my mind it was just yesterday, when I held you both on my lap as babies."

"Mum," Neville replied, noticing that his mother unobtrusively wiped a tear from her cheek, "I'm so happy to have you back, and thanks so much for making Harry my twin brother."

Alice smiled and pulled Neville into a bear hug, before she proceeded to do the same with Harry, noticing sadly that he slightly flinched back at her touch.

"Harry, have you understood what Frank suggested earlier about making you our son and changing your name in order to hide you from Professor Dumbledore and others?" she asked in a soft voice.

"Yes Madame," Harry replied, slightly unsurely.

"If you have any questions, you're welcome to ask, sweetie," Alice informed him. "I'm sure you must have a lot of questions about the magical world and everything, but you may always ask any of us. As we told you, Frank and I will have to adjust to everything again, but nevertheless we're going to help you adjust as well as we can."

"Thank you," Harry replied, feeling very cared for and happy.

"Well Harry, we then need to discuss your new name," Alice said, thoughtfully. "Your last name will of course be Longbottom, but we should also change your first name. Is there any name that you specifically like?" she enquired, looking at him in expectation.

"I have an idea," Neville blurted out, smiling.

_tbc..._

_Thank you so much for your kind reviews!_


	3. Thank You Very Much

**The Boy Who Wasn't**  
**by Healer Pomfrey**

_All recognizable characters belong to J. K. Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story.  
I am not a native speaker of English. Please excuse my mistakes._

* * *

**3. Thank You Very Much**

Seeing that his mother and Harry looked at him, questioningly, Neville suggested, "What about Noah like in Noah's Ark?"

_'It was very nice of Noah to save the animals,'_ Harry thought, before he spoke up. "Yes, I'd like Noah as my name, if that's all right."

"Of course it's all right sweetie, and I believe that it's a wonderful name," Alice said warmly. "Noah Longbottom sounds good, too."

Just then, Fizzy popped up, announcing that Professor Snape had arrived and they were expected back in the living room.

Alice profusely thanked the professor for coming, before she introduced him to Harry. "Harry, this is Professor Snape. He was your mother's other best friend, and he kindly brewed the adoption potion for you."

"Hello Professor," Harry said, shyly smiling at the tall man, who merely gave him a nod in return.

The professor took two drops of blood each from Alice and Frank, letting them mix into a phial that held a bright red liquid, which now turned dark red. Turning to the soon to be adoptive parents, he queried, "May I cast a diagnostic spell at the boy to make sure that it is safe to administer the potion?"

"Of course," Alice voiced her agreement and, turning to Harry, explained, "Don't worry, the professor will just check if you're all healthy before you take the potion."

Harry nodded in understanding and anxiously observed how the tall wizard waved his wand over him in a complicated looking movement. Finally, a small parchment emerged from the tip of his wand. The professor stared at it for a moment, before he held it out to Alice and Frank.

"I believe that you need to let Poppy Pomfrey in on the secret," he finally said. "The bruises and welts covering most of his body I could heal right away. However, with the various broken bones that have healed improperly as well as with the heart and immune system problems you'll need her expertise."

"Severus," Alice spoke up, clearly shocked by the results, "what exactly does this weakened heart and destabilized immune system mean? Sorry, but as a baby, Harry was fully healthy."

The Potions Master let out a long sigh and confirmed, "No, he didn't have these problems, when he was a baby. I can only guess, but I suspect that his heart problem might be a result of the killing curse that was cast at him when he was a year old. The weakened immune system is most likely a result of the neglect of illnesses in the past and means that he is very susceptible to illnesses. There's nothing that you can do about it right now except for closely monitoring him at the smallest sign of sickness." He remained thoughtful for an instant, before he continued, "None of the mentioned problems prevent him from taking the blood adoption potion right now, so I suggest that we proceed with it." He raised an eyebrow at the adults, nodding in understanding at their positive response.

"Wait a moment," Augusta threw in, pensively. "What's going to happen to the boy's heritage once he's being blood adopted? Will he still be able to claim the Potter vaults as well as the Potter name in case he wants it?"

Alice and Frank looked from Augusta to the Potions Master in confusion. "I didn't even think of that," Alice said, letting out a long sigh.

"Don't worry about that," her former classmate spoke up after remaining pensive for an instant. "The blood adoption potion will make the boy your child; however, he still has Lily's and Potter's blood as well. To every normal wizard or witch, he's going to look like your child. However, the blood adoption potion will not overwrite or change but merely add to his magical signature. Through his magical signature, the goblins will still be able to recognise him as the Potter heir."

"Are you sure about this?" Alice enquired, looking at her former classmate in admiration.

"I am certain," the Slytherin replied in a firm voice.

"So in case someone would cast a spell at the boy to check his magical signature, they were able to figure it out as well?" Alice suddenly thought aloud.

"Yes," the Potions Master admitted. "However, only Healers would know such a spell, especially as it is not a common diagnostic spell, and it's very unlikely that anyone would want to even check someone's magical signature if not for a valid reason."

"Yes, that's true," Augusta spoke again. "Thank you Severus."

"Very well, Harry, are you ready to take the potion?" the Potions Master then queried, giving the boy a sharp look.

"Yes sir, thank you sir," Harry replied, hesitantly. The thought _'I'm not allowed medicine'_ shot through his head, but he dismissed it immediately, knowing that it didn't apply in this case. He hesitantly drank the liquid from the phial that the professor held out to him, noticing that it didn't even taste too bad. However, by the time he had finished the potion, his body began to hurt immensely.

Apparently realising that the boy seemed to be in a lot of pain, the Potions Master spelled a pain relieving potion straight into the child's system, causing Harry to visibly relax.

"Thank you Severus," Alice spoke up, giving her former classmate a grateful look, before she turned to Harry. "You still have your mother's green eyes, but other than that you look like Neville," she said in clear amazement. "So you're not Harry Potter anymore, but Noah Longbottom. Congratulations Noah."

"Thank you so much, " Noah aka Harry replied, smiling.

"Severus, we can't thank you enough for all that you have done for us today," Alice said, giving the professor a grateful look.

"You're welcome," he replied, and a small smile crossed his face, before it returned to its usual blank mask.

"Severus, do you have to return to Hogwarts right away, or may we invite you to remain for dinner?" Frank asked the professor, who returned a surprised look but then agreed to stay.

_'Am I supposed to cook dinner?'_ Noah aka Harry wondered, uncomfortably squirming in his seat.

"Noah, is something wrong?" Alice asked, gently.

"At the Dursleys, I had to cook dinner," the child whispered, only for his adoptive mother to hear.

"Ah sweetie, here you're not going to do such a thing," Alice replied in a soothing voice. "You will have some chores to do, but they will always be equally divided between you and Neville. Don't worry about anything now. The house-elves are preparing dinner." With that she ushered everyone into the dining room.

HP

During dinner, Severus Snape told the Longbottoms what had happened in Britain's magical world during the last eight years. "It has been a quiet time," he concluded, before he queried, "Have you already thought about what you're going to do?"

"Not really," Alice admitted. "Everything was so sudden."

"Yes, it was," Frank agreed. "Do you know if there are any openings at Hogwarts in the near future?"

The Potions Master smirked. "I know for a fact that Professors Sprout and Flitwick both want to retire as soon as possible, and also History of Magic is still being taught by an insufferable ghost."

"Professor Flitwick wanted Lily or me to take over the Charms position shortly after we left Hogwarts," Alice remembered. "At that time, we were already pregnant with Neville and Noah, so we both declined, but now, seeing how big they already are, I'd love to accept the post if it was offered to me again."

"I wouldn't decline if I was offered the Herbology post either," Frank added, smirking. "Herbology was my best subject at school, and after these eight years of kind of a blank, I don't feel comfortable to return to my former position as an Auror anymore."

"In that case, I suggest that you both speak with Headmaster Dumbledore. However, only after properly hiding Noah's scar and somehow charming the birth certificate, so that he won't be able to look through your small masquerade," Severus sneered.

"I will cast the charms right after dinner," Alice promised, before she added, pensively, "Or maybe you could all cast the charms together with me. Cast with four people they should be strong enough, so that no one will be able to cancel them."

HP

After dinner, Alice taught Augusta, Frank and Severus the charm to hide Noah's scar, and the four adults cast it together. The charm to change the wizarding world's memory of Neville Longbottom to a memory of the twins Neville and Noah was much more complicated, and the four adults practised for a few minutes, before they finally spoke the incantation together.

"All right, now it's only the birth certificate," Alice said, sighing in exhaustion. She remained thoughtful for a moment, before she enquired, "Severus, I know we've already asked too much of you today, but would you perhaps be willing to become the twins' godfather?"

"Very well," her former classmate agreed surprisingly easily and queried, "Who's the other godparent if I may ask?"

"For Neville it's Minerva McGonagall, and for Noah it's Sirius Black, but I think I'm going to change that to Minerva too," Alice replied, giving Frank a questioning look.

"Good idea," her husband agreed immediately.

Five minutes later, the charm was cast, and Alice visibly relaxed. "All done," she said, contentedly. "Now no one can take you from us, Noah."

"Thank you so much," Noah aka Harry replied, happily grinning at his new twin brother.

"Shall I call Poppy here, so that we can confirm that the charm worked?" Severus suggested.

"Oh yes please," Alice replied, gratefully.

"And then you and Frank are going to turn in for the night," Augusta spoke up in a firm voice. "It has been a long and tiring day for you both."

"Yes, but I have to run a small errand first," Alice contradicted in determination.

Frank rolled his eyes. "Don't kill the Dursleys," he reminded her, smirking.

"That I won't," his wife replied with an evil grin on her face, just when Madam Pomfrey stepped out of the fireplace.

HP

"Good evening and welcome back, Alice and Frank," the Healer said, smiling at the twins' parents. "I can speak for everyone at Hogwarts if I say that we missed you very much." Giving the twins a sharp look, she asked, "Is anything with the twins?"

Although Noah aka Harry was not sure what the whole matter was about, he noticed that a relieved smile crossed his adoptive mother's face.

Seeing that her daughter-in-law seemed to be exhausted, Augusta quickly explained the matter to the Healer, who had been her friend and classmate during her own time at Hogwarts.

"Oh and I thought Neville and Noah were real twins," Pomfrey said, smirking, before she turned into Healer's mode and waved her wand over Noah. "I suggest that Noah makes himself comfortable in his bed, and then I'll try to do what I can. It won't be overly pleasant for the child though," she said, pensively.

While the Potions Master excused himself and stepped into the fireplace, not without receiving an invitation for the twins' birthday dinner together with their godmother, Neville and Noah led the Healer into their room.

HP

By the time Pomfrey finished mending Noah's bones, the boy was fast asleep due to a sleeping potion that the Healer had unobtrusively spelled into his system to prevent him from being in a lot of pain. Alice thanked the older witch profusely and accompanied her back to the living room, where the adults conferred with the Healer for a few minutes.

"Do we have to be careful with anything considering his heart problem?" Alice asked in concern.

The Healer let out a long sigh. "Noah shouldn't do anything strenuous in any case. It might be that his body won't take magical transportation methods like the Floo or Apparition well, but you will only be able to find out over time..."

"So should we better not take him through the Floo or apparate?" Alice interrupted the Healer, alert.

Pomfrey shook her head. "No, you can use both. Just keep it in mind that it might cause problems, in case he doesn't feel well afterwards. If he has any problems, you may call me at any time, of course," she said in a soft voice. "Other than that I'll give him a thorough check-up, when he comes to Hogwarts. He'll probably be exempt from Defence and Flying classes at the least." With that she excused herself and stepped into the fireplace.

HP

Alice returned to the children's room and sat on the edge of Neville's bed. For a moment, she observed Neville play with the Hogwarts Express, before she said, "I believe that it's time for you to go to bed too. Tomorrow, you're going to have an exciting day."

"Yes okay and without Noah it's not so much fun playing anyway," Neville agreed and hurriedly got ready for bed, feeling very happy, when his mother tucked him in for the first time in more than seven and a half years. "Mum, I don't need any presents for my birthday," he said, sleepily.

"And why's that?" Alice queried in surprise, chuckling.

"Because I already received the best present that I could ever wish for," her son replied, tears welling up in his eyes. "I'm so happy to have you and Dad and Noah. I need nothing else."

"We'll see," Alice replied in amusement. "I'm very happy too."

She remained in the children's room for a few minutes, even after Neville's breathing had evened out and she knew that he was asleep. _'How strange,'_ she mused. _'Yesterday, I was holding and feeding baby Neville, and now I have two almost nine-year-old sons. They've been well raised though, at least Neville. For Harry... no Noah, I feel really sorry.'_ For an instant, she pondered the matter, before she decided what to do about the Dursleys. Casting a charm at the room that would alert her if either of the boys woke up or needed her, she returned to the living room and excused herself for a few minutes.

"Don't worry, I won't kill anyone, and I'm going to be back soon," she told her husband, smirking mischievously.

_tbc..._

_Thank you so much for your kind comments - and for the name suggestions... lol... I did not leave it at the cliffy because I couldn't decide on a name lol. Those who know me better will probably have noticed that I worked up to that name by Neville's explanations about Noah's ark... From now on, Harry will just be called Noah. I hope you liked the chapter and I'll try to give you one more before the beginning of my Advent's Calendar story on Sunday._


	4. For Allowing

**The Boy Who Wasn't**  
**by Healer Pomfrey**

_All recognizable characters belong to J. K. Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story.  
I am not a native speaker of English. Please excuse my mistakes._

* * *

**4. For Allowing**

Mere ten minutes after she had left, Alice was back at home, wearing a content expression.

"That was quick. Are they still alive?" Frank queried, knowing all too well how protective Alice was of her children.

"Of course," she replied, frowning. "I know that Neville and Noah need me here and not in Azkaban."

"Me too," he added, grinning as he pulled her onto the sofa and gently laid his arm around her back.

Alice sighed. "Well, first of all, I cast a charm on them that will make them tell everyone who asks for Harry Potter that he just went to see a friend." Seeing that Frank nodded his consent, she continued, "And then I cast another charm. Whenever Noah falls ill, Petunia and her husband are going to suffer from the same illness. Don't tell me that's not fair."

"What if Noah catches a magical disease?" Frank queried in apparent disbelief.

_'Men,'_ Alice thought, inwardly rolling her eyes. "Then they'll have to suffer from it. They won't die of it, and if so, it's their own fault," she said, firmly. "I won't feel any pity for them. They didn't care for my godson... fortunately now son... either." She suddenly chuckled and said, "Believe me, Lily would have done much worse to her sister. What I did was still harmless."

"I think you did very well, Alice," her mother-in-law threw in, unexpectedly. "They really deserved what they got."

"Thank you Augusta," Alice said, gratefully. "And thank you so much for raising Neville so well. He's turned into an amazing boy."

"He is a wonderful boy," Augusta agreed. "But I'm getting too old to raise a child, and he doesn't have many friends, because he's very shy. Anyway, he seems to be extremely happy to have parents and a brother now. Good night dears. Tomorrow is going to be a long day," she said. Only when she was half through the door, she added, "It's really good to have you back. I'm happy too."

HP

In the morning, Alice woke up to an excited child climbing into her bed.

"Mum, mum," Neville whispered, urgently. "I don't have a present for Noah. What shall I do?"

Alice gently cradled the boy close and whispered back, "Nothing sweetie. If you made a present for him now, he'd feel bad because he doesn't have one for you. Maybe later on, you can draw a picture for each other, but right now, just do nothing."

"Oh yes, that's true," Neville agreed in understanding. "Mum, will Noah get presents from you and everyone else?" he then asked, pensively.

"Of course my dear, don't worry about it," Alice said, soothingly. "Yesterday, while we were busy with other things, Granny sent Fizzy to Diagon Alley to buy presents for Noah. You'll see, neither of you will be disappointed."

"That's good," Neville said, contentedly. "I like Noah, and I think he's as shy as I, so it's much fun to play together.

"I'm very happy to hear that, Neville, and I hope very much that you're going to get along well," Alice whispered, kissing the child. From Augusta she had heard that Neville had difficulties making friends. _'One problem less to worry about,'_ she thought, smiling.

"May I go and wake Noah?" Neville asked, excitedly.

Alice smirked. "Feel free to try, but I can't tell you if he likes being woken up," she warned her son, who dashed away in spite of her words. _'Well I better get up too,'_ she thought, knowing that she wouldn't have much time to leisure around on her twins' birthday.

HP

Noah woke up with a jolt to someone lightly shaking his shoulder.

"Noah, wake up, it's our birthday," Neville's excited voice penetrated his ears.

Noah smiled. "Happy Birthday Neville," he said, sleepily. _'Is this really true, or is this all just a dream too good to be true?'_ he wondered and unobtrusively pinched his left arm, only to realise that it hurt. _'No, I must be awake,'_ he thought and quickly scrambled out of bed.

"Hehe, I like your pyjamas," Neville pointed out, chuckling, causing Noah to look down his own body in confusion. "Madam Pomfrey transfigured your clothes last night," his brother explained, grinning at the cats in various colours on a light green back that kept moving around graciously, letting out occasional meaows.

"Awww, how cute," Noah said in amazement. "I like cats." _'Even if it was boring to look at the pictures the cat lady showed me whenever I stayed with her,'_ he thought.

"Our godmother Minerva McGonagall is a cat Animagus," Neville informed him, proudly.

"Sorry Neville, what's an Animagus?" Noah asked in a small voice. In fact, he knew better than to ask questions, Aunt Petunia had taught him well, but Neville and his parents had been so nice to him that he felt it safe to ask.

"An Animagus is someone who can transform into an animal," Neville explained, smiling. "I'd love to become an Animagus too."

"Yeah me too," Noah said, excitedly. "Neville, how can we do that? Let's become an Animagus."

Neville chuckled at his brother's apparent excitement, before he replied, "Granny told me that it's very difficult. Only some wizards and witches are able to do so, but we can try. We can't tell anyone about it though or they'd have a fit." He remained thoughtful for a moment, before he suggested, "Let's check out the library for a book about Animagi." Seeing Noah agree, he motioned him to follow him. "Now is a good timing, as Granny is probably still asleep. She's very strict, probably stricter than Mum and Dad."

"I thought so," Noah agreed and hurriedly followed his brother out of their room, wondering what the old witch would say if she saw them run around in their pyjamas.

HP

The two nine-year-olds busied themselves in the library. They found several books about Animagi and spent some time deciding on just two books to borrow and take with them for the time being, _'Animagi Through the Ages'_ and _'A Beginner's Guide to the Animagus Transformation'_. "Let's hide them here," Neville decided and placed them on bottom of the box with the Hogwarts Express. "No one is going to look into this box."

Noah chuckled, happily. "Can we play with the Hogwarts Express and the animals again later on?" he queried. "It was a lot of fun."

"I'd like that, too," Neville replied, equally pleased, just when Fizzy popped up in front of them.

"Master Neville and Master Noah, please get dressed now. Fizzy has laid out clothes on your beds for you. Mistress Alice and Master Frank are waiting for you in the dining room," the small elf announced and popped away again.

Noah fingered the fine fabric of the trousers, shirt and robes in admiration. _'Such fine clothes I get to wear,' _he thought, incredulously, when Neville brought him back to reality.

"Come on Noah, we've got to hurry up now," his twin brother said in apparent excitement, causing Noah to quickly get dressed.

HP

"Good morning birthday boys," Alice greeted them, smiling. "I was wondering what could be interesting enough to keep you from looking for birthday presents."

"Good morning Mum and Dad, sorry, I showed Noah the library," Neville replied, smiling.

"Good morning," Noah echoed, happily looking at his adoptive parents.

"What studious children we have," Frank said, grinning at his wife.

"Now let's have breakfast, and then I thought we should go to Diagon Alley and buy some more clothes for the two of you," Alice suggested.

"All right," Neville was the first to reply, before he asked, "Mum 'n Dad, do we have to wear robes at home? Granny said so, because 'we never know who might come to visit,'" he said in a mocking tone, causing Noah to giggle. "But when I went to see the Weasleys once, they were all just running around in jeans and T-shirts."

"Here at home, you don't have to wear robes," Frank decided after exchanging a quick look with his wife, "except for when we tell you, for example, because we expect guests."

"Thank Merlin, thank you Dad," Neville said in apparent relief.

"Thank you," Noah echoed, grinning at his brother.

"Do you want to open your presents first, or can we go and get over with the shopping first?" Alice queried, when everyone had finished eating. She looked at her children with apparent amusement, when the twins exchanged a questioning look.

"Can't we go shopping tomorrow?" Neville asked, slightly impatiently, in spite of already having agreed on the matter a few minutes earlier. "Today's our birthday, and we'd like to play."

Alice let out a long sigh. "Yes my dear, I know that, but Noah is in dire need of clothes, even if I know that you're kind enough to share everything with him, plus tomorrow, your father and I are planning to go to Hogwarts for some discussions with Professor Dumbledore."

"Oh all right, let's go to Diagon Alley first then," Neville replied in understanding, giving Noah a pointed look that made Noah inwardly grin.

_'Neville's an awesome brother,'_ he thought, feeling happier than ever before in his life.

HP

The new family spent most of the morning in the town, which Noah liked immediately. To his relief, Alice did not only buy T-shirts, trousers, pyjamas, socks and underwear as well as several robes in different colours for him but also chose some clothes for Neville, which were much more modern than the slightly old-fashioned outfits that his brother possessed.

When their parents suggested having an ice cream at Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour, Neville's and Noah's eyes lit up with joy. Noah skimmed the menu with a huge choice of different kinds of ice cream in confusion, casting a helpless look at his brother.

"Sorry Noah, I haven't been here before either," Neville informed him, causing his parents to let out a gasp.

"Why not?" Alice enquired, incredulously. "Did Granny never take you here for an ice cream?"

"No," Neville said, sadly shaking his head. "She's very strict, and she's never really pleased with me because my magic is so weak," he admitted in a small voice.

"What?" Frank shouted, jumping up from his chair in anger, before he became aware of their surroundings and hurriedly sat down.

"Neville, that's nonsense. Both of you have a very strong magic," Alice whispered, exchanging a confused glance with her husband.

"Neville, do you have a children's wand?" Frank queried, giving his son a sharp look.

"No," Neville replied, sighing. "She always makes me use your wand, when we practise spells."

His father let out an angry snort. "You need your own wand that fits you. No other wand will be perfect for you. Alice, as soon as we're finished here, we'll go and buy children's wands for the twins, and I'm not going to have mother home school them anymore," he said in determination.

"Let's speak about the matter with Molly Weasley, when they're going to come over this afternoon," Alice suggested, completely agreeing with her husband. "We can also address the matter with Dumbledore tomorrow. Maybe we'll be able to set up a small primary school for magical children in Hogsmeade or somewhere. Oh well, let's eat," she interrupted herself, smiling at the children, who were eyeing their enormous portions of ice cream with apparent enthusiasm.

_'What was that about?'_ Noah wondered, while he tucked in with gusto. _'I'd love to go to school, now that I could really learn without having to be careful to not be better than Dudley,'_ he mused. "Thank you so much. This was delicious," he said aloud, once finishing his ice cream.

"Yes, thank you. It was gorgeous," Neville echoed, smiling happily.

"Very well then, let's take you to Olivander's, provided that it's still there," Frank spoke up in determination.

"It surely is," Alice reassured him. "Not much seems to have changed here during our absence."

HP

"How old are the boys?" Olivander enquired, after having Neville and Noah inefficiently try out several children's wands during the last twenty minutes.

"They're nine," Alice replied, casting the old wizard a questioning look.

Olivander let out a long sigh. "Maybe it would be wise to allow them proper wands in spite of being two years too young to attend Hogwarts. Their magic is too strong for children's wands. I believe that it would be safer for them and for their surroundings to have normal wands already."

The parents exchanged an exasperated look. "Oh well, we shouldn't be surprised, considering how strong their magic already was when they were babies," Alice was the first to reply, letting out a long sigh.

"Yes, please go ahead then," Frank added, giving the old wizard an appreciative nod.

Neville tried out two wands, before it became clear that a 13" cherry wood wand with a unicorn hair core was the right wand for him. He happily held the wand in his hand, when his brother tried one wand after the next.

"How strange," Olivander said, pensively, when Noah had finally found his wand as well.

"What is strange sir?" Alice enquired, curiously eyeing the old wizard.

"This wand here," Olivander explained, pointing at Noah's wand, "is the same as his brother's with 13" and cherry wood, except for the fact that it doesn't hold unicorn hair. It consists of a phoenix feather." He remained thoughtful, when he continued, "I remember every wand that I've sold here, and this wand is very special. The phoenix, from which the feather is, only gave two feathers, and the wand that holds the other feather belongs to the wizard who gave your son his scar." Seeing all four Longbottoms give him horrified looks, he said, soothingly, "Don't worry, no one else will know who he is. As a wand maker, I have special feelings for who people are and whose children they are. No one would be able to hide from me."

"Are you sure that no one else will recognise him?" Alice asked in utmost concern.

"Yes Madame, I'm certain," Olivander reassured her, smiling at the young family. "Your sons will both do great things in the future," he added, miraculously.

"That was gross," Neville commented, when they left the shop and returned to the Leaky Cauldron in order to take the Floo back home.

Noah could only agree full heartedly.

HP

"Excuse me," he spoke up, once they stepped out of the fireplace in the Longbottom's living room. "Who gave me that scar? I thought I got it from the traffic accident, in which my real parents died."

Unbeknownst to the child, both adults were looking at him closely, trying to assess if the use of the Floo network had any negative influences on his well-being like Pomfrey had warned about. However, the boy seemed to be all right so far.

"Let's sit here for a few minutes," Alice suggested and, seeing that the boys and her husband followed her advice, slowly explained to Noah about Voldemort and his parents' death.

Noah just sat there, listening in confusion. "But no one will know that I was Harry before, right?" he finally asked, feeling extremely relieved when both of his new parents replied affirmatively.

"Now you're our son like Neville, and no one will be able to take you away from us," Alice promised, warmly, pulling the twins into a light hug, knowing that she had to be careful touching Noah.

"Can we go and open presents now?" Neville finally asked, impatiently. "The twins are going to arrive in two hours."

"The twins?" Alice queried, giving her son a questioning look.

"The Weasley twins," Neville explained, grinning. "Oh right, Ron and Ginny too, but I don't like them so much. The twins are much nicer, and now that we're twins too, we're going to have so much fun with them." He chuckled in anticipation, causing Noah to giggle in delight.

_'I can't wait to meet the other twins,'_ he mused. _'They'll surely be able to do magic like us. No one is going to call me a freak anymore,'_ he thought, happily.

_tbc..._

_Thank you so much for your kind feedback!_


	5. Your Slave

**The Boy Who Wasn't**  
**by Healer Pomfrey**

_All recognizable characters belong to J. K. Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story.  
I am not a native speaker of English. Please excuse my mistakes._

* * *

**_A.N.: After the (not positive) resonance for my final chapter of "Elves Child", I wish to make clear one point: If you want Sirius to play a role in this story, you better stop reading right away, as he will NOT play a significant role in ANY of my stories. Thank you for your understanding._**

* * *

**5. Your Slave**

Noah understood fairly soon why Neville liked the twins more than their younger brother. On Fred and George's suggestion, the Weasleys had bought a small Potions kit for the birthday boys that was said suitable for pre-Hogwarts children. Neville and Noah were both over the moon at the prospect of being able to brew fruit drops and easy potions with their kit, and when the Weasley twins suggested to begin right away, they were all for it. However, Ginny and Ron protested vehemently, and Ron suggested to play Quidditch.

"Ronniekins, you should know by now..."

"... that Neville and Noah don't like to fly," Fred and George reminded their brother in a funny singsong, making Noah stare at the older twins in admiration.

After a long discussion, Ginny and Ron ended up playing Wizard's chess, while the two couples of twins busied themselves with the Potions kit and a recipe that the older twins had invented.

"What does this potion do?" Neville asked, curiously.

"Ah, it's harmless..."

"... It'll merely make everyone spike green hair," Fred and George explained in a funny singsong.

"Shall we ask your house-elf to mix it into everyone's dinner tonight?" Neville suggested, grinning mischievously.

"Are you sure that we brewed it correctly and it can't harm anyone?" Noah threw in, cautiously.

"It should be all right..."

"Usually we just brew our new inventions and simply put them into the desert," the older twins replied, exchanging a thoughtful look.

"Maybe we can ask our godfather," Neville suggested. "He's the Potions professor at Hogwarts, the one who rescued my parents. He'll surely be able to tell us if it's safe to use it on others."

The older twins stared at him in disbelief. "Neville..."

"Snape is your godfather?..."

As far as we know..."

"He's the strictest professor of Hogwarts..."

"... and you can't ask him about prank potions," Fred and George informed the younger twins.

"Let's ask Mum then," Neville decided and went to fetch his mother.

HP

Alice entered the room a few minutes later, contentedly eyeing the scene in front of her. She looked at the recipe and took a sniff at the small phial with the prank potion, before she gave the children a small nod. "I don't think that it can harm anyone," she said, smiling. "However, considering that your godparents are going to attend dinner with us, I suggest that you put your potion into the pumpkin juice, so that only the children will be affected."

The two couples of twins readily agreed and hurried to hand their phial to the house-elf.

_'I can't wait for dinner to begin,'_ Noah thought in excitement. _'This is going to be so much fun.'_

Fun they had indeed. As soon as the children began to drink from their pumpkin juice, their hair took on a neon green colour, causing the adults to let out a collective laugh.

"That was the twins," Ron complained, glaring at his older brothers.

"Fred, George," Molly Weasley immediately began to scold her sons, who were wearing too innocent expressions.

"It's wasn't only Fred and George..." Neville piped in, shyly.

"We brewed it all together," Noah completed his sentence like he had admired the older twins to do earlier.

"Well done," their godfather spoke up to everyone's surprise. "Nevertheless," he continued in a much sterner voice, "you should not brew by yourselves, except for the potions from the recipes that are included in your Potions set. Everything else might be extremely dangerous." Giving the two couples of twins a sharp look, he offered, "If you wish to brew anything from a self-invented potion, you may contact me and show me the recipe, and I shall tell you if it's safe to brew just by yourselves."

"Thank you very much Professor," Noah was the first to speak up, casting his godfather a huge smile.

"We really appreciate your offer, sir," Fred Weasley added, causing Neville, Noah and George to nod affirmatively.

Severus slightly inclined his head, unaware of the fact that the adults stared at him with a combination of surprise and admiration.

HP

In the morning, the twins begged their parents to be allowed to accompany them to Hogwarts. The parents exchanged a glance, before Frank relented, "Very well, you may come with us."

"You must keep quiet though," Alice spoke up in a stern voice. "I might put up a fight with the Headmaster about placing Harry Potter with the Dursleys."

"Who's Harry Potter?" Neville asked, grinning, and Noah nodded his agreement.

"Thank Merlin Minerva and Severus know about our appointment with Dumbledore and promised to be in his office," Alice said to Frank, before she stepped into the fireplace, shouting, "Headmaster's office, Hogwarts."

Noah hesitantly stepped into the fireplace together with Neville, still scared of the fireplace but feeling very much reassured when Neville laid his arm around his back and whispered, "Don't worry, if we get lost, we'll at least stay together."

HP

Noah stared at the old wizard in amazement. _'He looks like one of the old men in the fairy tales that we read at school,'_ he thought, before he forced his eyes away, recalling that he was supposed to already know the Headmaster. _'I hope he won't be able to discover who I really am,'_ he thought, anxiously, knowing that Professor Dumbledore was the powerful wizard, whom everyone seemed to respect greatly.

"Welcome back to our world," the Headmaster greeted Alice and Frank in a gentle voice, before he turned to the twins. "Noah and Neville, would you care for a lemon drop?"

Noah hesitantly followed Neville's example and took one of the yellowish sweets, before he obediently took a seat between his brother and Professor McGonagall.

"Professor Dumbledore," Alice began to speak, "my mother-in-law informed me that Sirius Black is in Azkaban because of giving away the Potters to Voldemort. But he wasn't their Secret Keeper. Just a few weeks before their death, they changed their Secret Keeper to Peter Pettigrew."

Dumbledore thoughtfully stroked his long, white beard. "This is indeed an interesting information, of which no one else seem to have been aware," he said, pensively. "However, Mr. Black is not only in Azkaban because of giving away the Potters." He explained about the death of thirteen Muggles and Peter Pettigrew.

"No." Alice shook her head in determination. "Professor, I've never liked Sirius, but I'm certain that he'd never do such a thing. Peter maybe yes, but not Sirius."

Dumbledore let out a long sigh. "I'm sorry Mrs. Longbottom, but the only evidence that would proof Mr. Black's innocence would be an alive Mr. Pettigrew," he replied, regrettably.

"Peter Pettigrew is a rat Animagus, just in case this information might help," Frank, who had remained quiet so far, threw in.

"Well, if I encounter a rat that is missing a toe, since they only found one finger of Mr. Pettigrew, I'll check if the rat's an Animagus," Dumbledore promised.

"One moment," Professor McGonagall, who had kept quiet so far like her Slytherin colleague, threw in, alert. "Isn't Mr. Weasley's rat missing a toe?" Turning to the Longbottoms, she explained, "Percy Weasley has just finished his second Hogwarts year." She rose from her seat. "I'll go to the Weasleys and enquire about the rat."

"Thank you Minerva, but I believe that we should wait until the boy returns to Hogwarts with the rat," Dumbledore refused gently.

"Albus," McGonagall scolded the Headmaster. "If Mr. Black is indeed innocent, we should try to bring him out of Azkaban as soon as possible."

"Not now," Dumbledore replied in a firm voice. "I'll see about the matter later on."

HP

"My next question concerns my godson Harry Potter," Alice said turning back to the Headmaster. "Why has he been placed with the Dursleys in spite of the Potters' clear instructions in their will to never ever give him to Petunia Dursley?"

_'Such an idiot,'_ Noah thought, as he listened to the old wizard's long winding explanations about blood wards and whatever. He lost himself in his thoughts about his former family and was only brought back to reality, when the Headmaster made Alice swear an oath that she would not go to the Dursleys in order to see her godson.

"I swear on my magic to not go to the Dursleys' residence to see Harry Potter," Alice said as requested, inwardly grinning.

_'Thank God that the Headmaster doesn't know that she already rescued me,'_ Harry thought, feeling very happy.

HP

"Mr. and Mrs. Longbottom, did you already have time to think about what you're going to do now?" the Headmaster suddenly enquired.

"No sir, we're still trying to get used to normal life," Frank replied for a change. "I only know that I probably won't go back to the Aurors, as I don't feel comfortable with the blank of almost eight years. But other than that, we didn't have time to further consider the matter."

The Headmaster smiled. "Would you consider working at Hogwarts?" he then queried in a soft voice. "Professors Flitwick and Sprout wish to retire." He gave the young couple a questioning look.

Realising that the Longbottoms signalled interest, he knelt in front of the fireplace and called the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff Heads of House.

While the adults spoke about the details of the available positions, Noah's thoughts drifted off again. _'I hope they'll take us with them to Hogwarts,'_ he thought, _'even if Neville's granny is of course much nicer than the Dursleys. But it would be great to live at Hogwarts. We'd be able to see the Weasley twins every day.'_

He looked up with interest, when the Headmaster suddenly enquired, "What are you going to do with Neville and Noah during the day? Are they attending a primary school?"

Alice let out a long sigh. "So far, my mother-in-law has taught them; however, Frank and I have decided that we don't want that anymore. Yesterday, we spoke about the matter with Molly Weasley, but we didn't come to a conclusion yet."

"Mum, can't we just attend Hogwarts? The twins are going to be first years next month, and it would be so great if we could go to school with them," Neville blurted out, causing Noah to stare at his brother in delight.

"That would be awesome," he added in a small voice.

"I'm afraid that's not possible," Dumbledore replied in a grandfatherly voice, giving the boys a pitying look. "Only when you turn eleven, your magic manifests in a way that you'll be able to have a proper wand, which is absolutely necessary for the Hogwarts education."

"They already have proper wands," Frank stated. "Upon hearing that my mother made them use our wands instead of buying children's wands for them, yesterday, we went to buy children's wands, and Mr. Ollivander insisted that their magic was strong enough to use proper wands."

"Oh all right," Dumbledore said, pensively. "Then let's see if Sopho, our Sorting Hat, will already be able to sort them.

"Albus, you're not going to sort them now, are you?" McGonagall spoke up, incredulously. "Let them be sorted together with the other first years on the first of September. Sopho will surely be able to sort them."

To Noah's and Neville's relief, the Headmaster relented. "Very well then, you'll attend the first year classes from the beginning of the new school year onwards," he decided.

HP

Knowing that the conversation between the Longbottoms and Professors Sprout and Flitwick and the meddling Headmaster was still going to continue and that the twins had to become bored, the Potions Master suggested, "Should I take the boys and give them a tour around Hogwarts, while you continue here?"

"Yes Severus, that would be very nice," McGonagall replied immediately, giving her younger colleague an appreciative look.

The twins happily followed their godfather out of the Headmaster's office. He showed them the library, where they spent a while admiring the beautiful room with the huge bookshelves. From the Astronomy tower, they observed the Giant Squid play in the sunshine, and in the Potions classroom, they stared at several ingredients that were still alive like frog legs and toad eyes.

"I can't wait to be able to brew real potions here," Noah spoke up, looking around with interest.

"Yes, we had so much fun yesterday brewing with the twins."

Severus smirked. "I can teach you how to brew if you want," he offered. "During the next few weeks, your parents will probably be very busy making lesson plans and preparing for their classes, and since I have lots of potions to brew for the hospital wing, I could very well use one or two assistants."

"Yes please sir," Noah replied in excitement.

"Please teach us sir," Neville echoed.

HP

While the Potions Master gave his godchildren a first introduction into the fine art of potions brewing, the teachers in the Headmaster's office agreed that Professor Flitwick would still remain at Hogwarts and keep the Ravenclaw Head of House position whilst teaching History of Magic as replacement for Professor Binns, until a promising candidate for the position would appear. Professor Sprout would completely retire but remain at Hogwarts until Frank Longbottom felt absolutely safe with his entrusted greenhouses, while Alice as the new Charms professor would take over the Hufflepuff Head of House position.

"Originally, the Hat wanted to place me into Hufflepuff, but I begged him to put me into Gryffindor, because I wanted to be together with Lily," Alice admitted, hesitantly, when the question came up why the Sorting Hat suggested her as the new Hufflepuff Head.

Finally, McGonagall offered the Longbottoms that she and Professor Snape would take some time to teach Neville and Noah during the remaining weeks of the holidays.

"I'll help as well, and maybe we can also ask Poppy for help," Dumbledore offered, "considering that no one else is at Hogwarts at the moment. They children will surely be willing to assist the teachers with small tasks in return."

"Of course," Alice and Frank reassured the Headmaster.

HP

As soon as the following morning, the Longbottoms moved to their new quarters at Hogwarts - together with their very excited children.

_tbc..._

_Thanks to the kind readers who reviewed the previous chapters!_


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